Detection and photothermal inactivation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bloodstream bacteria using photonic crystal biosensor and plasmonic core–shell

Abstract

Plasmonics and core–shell nanomaterials hold great potential to develop pharmaceuticals and medical equipment due to their eco-friendly and cost effective fabrication procedures. Despite these advancements, combating drug-resistant bacterial infections remains a global challenge. Therefore, this study aims to introduce a tailored theoretical framework for a one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal biosensor (PCB) composed of (ZrO₂/GaN)^N/defect layer/(ZrO₂/GaN)^N, designed to detect Gram-positive and Gram-negative bloodstream bacteria employing the transfer matrix method (TMM). In addition, using the finite difference methods (FDM), the photothermal inactivation of bloodstream bacteria with plasmonic core–shell structures (FeO@AuBiS₂) was explored using key factors such as light absorption, heat generation, and thermal diffusion. By incorporating six dielectric layers and contaminated blood into the proposed PCB, a maximum sensitivity of 562 nm per RIU was recorded, and using rod-shaped plasmonic core–shell structures, 5.8 nm⁻¹ light absorption capacity and 152 K change in temperature were achieved. The maximum detection sensitivity, light absorption, heat conduction and heat convection capacity of the proposed 1D PCB and plasmonic core–shell show an effective approach to combating drug-resistant bacteria.